Sakellaropoulou tells Erdogan Greece-Turkey should preserve peace
Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou told visiting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday that the two countries have divergent opinions on some issues but they should “work together to preserve peace and good neighborly relations for the benefit of our people.”
“The tragic events that our countries faced this year offered an occasion to prove that the feeling of solidarity is a common feature that unites the two peoples. This reality is a strong basis for supporting the mutual political will to avoid tensions in our relations,” Sakellaropoulou told her Turkish counterpart who is in Athens for talks with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis as part of the 5th Greece-Turkey High Level Cooperation Council
“If we consider what is happening around us, it is necessary for Greece and Turkey to work together to preserve peace, stability and international law. While being aware of the fact that there are issues on which the two countries disagree, it is important to maintain and consolidate the positive climate.”
Erdogan responded in the same spirit, stating that this Council “will be the beginning of a new era in Greece-Turkey relations.”
“The ministers of the two countries will hold constructive meetings. We will discuss what steps we can take on all issues…We will continue our way in a more favorable way. I think it will be better for the future of both parties to hold talks seeing the glass half full,” he said.
